I would guess most of us have certain favorite dishes that bring back good memories from childhood. One of those for me is my grandma’s pineapple cream pie. Grandma made pineapple and coconut pies every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I always loved the pineapple cream pies and looked forward to them every year.
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Grandma’s Pineapple Cream Pie
These days it seems we have access to everything all the time. We don’t have to wait for our favorite Christmas movie because it’s available on DVD/Blu-ray or streaming. Eating out is a regular thing for many, rather than something for special occasions. Strawberries are available year-round (although they still taste best in season). Amazon orders are on our front porch in two days.
While easy, year-round access to everything has it’s pluses, there is something to be said for anticipation. And that’s where special holiday recipes come in. Sure, I could make pineapple cream pies more often but it’s nice to have something to look forward to. And we won’t mention the extra calories I don’t need. 😉
Pineapple Cream Pie
Delicious, creamy holiday pie
Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts, baked
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 dash salt
- 3 3/4 cups whole milk
- 6 egg yolks, beaten
- 1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, well-drained
- 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- freshly whipped cream or meringue
Instructions
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Prick bottom and sides of pie crusts and bake according to package directions until golden. Set aside to cool.
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In large skillet, add sugar, flour, salt and milk. Begin heating over medium high heat, mixing thoroughly with wire whisk until smooth.
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Add beaten eggs. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding. Remove from heat.
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Stir in vanilla and drained pineapple. Mix thoroughly.
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Divide mixture into cooled pie crusts. Top with freshly whipped cream (may add a bit of powdered sugar while whipping if desired). Or top with meringue and bake.
Please excuse this terrible photo and the skimpy amount of whipped cream. It has been a nightmare trying to find heavy whipping cream and I had two pies to top. I really had to stretch it!
Grandma always topped her pies with meringue which is definitely an option. I just happen to like whipped cream better. Both work well with this pie recipe. If you haven’t ever made meringue, here is a good explanation:
And you may notice that this is a frozen pie crust. I’m not sure I’ve ever bought one before. If I don’t make pie crust from scratch I at least buy the refrigerated rolled dough that you place in a pie tin and make a pretty edge on it. But Grandma bought these frozen crusts in a pan so I decided this time to do likewise. I did take Ina Garten’s suggestion and pressed a fork around the edges. I’m not sure it made it look any more homemade, though.
Would I do this again? Probably not. The Pillsbury rolled pie crust dough is easy enough and makes a much prettier pie. Of course, homemade (especially with real butter) tastes SO much better. But do whatever you have the time and inclination for. It’s the filling that really matters, right? In fact, if pie crust isn’t your thing, this filling makes an excellent pudding.
So tell me, have you ever had pineapple cream pie? I’ve not ever known anyone other than my family that is familiar with this recipe but if you like pineapple I think you’ll love this!
You may also enjoy…
Grandma’s Oatmeal Krispies Cookies
I didn’t even know pineapple cream pie was a thing…
I’ve never heard of anyone else who makes this. I wish I had thought to ask my grandma where it came from.
We had pineapple pudding and pineapple cream pie . They are very good .
I have seen recipes but never thought to try it. I love Pineapple cobbler (a recipe from the 1950s with a cheddar cheese crust). I love pineapple anything so I’d probably enjoy this a lot. And I’d do the meringue for sure.
Like you I love having seasonal treats. And I make it a point to savor these special things in their proper seasons and not at any other time of year.
They really do seem more special when not enjoyed very often. I know we both share an appreciation for fresh, summer peaches. 🙂